Ups and Downs
by ashslei
Summary: Series of one-shots dedicated to Korrasami. Some will be happy, others depressing. Updated as I get ideas.
1. Movies

**Hello! Thanks for taking interest. Some of these will be modern day, some will be in the Avatar universe. Some will be happy, some will be dark/depressing. I rated this T, since some themes may be pretty dark or intense. But there will be no smuts / lemons. **

**Happy reading!**

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Korra and I were waiting outside the movie theater waiting for Bolin to show up. I fumed; it wasn't normal of him to be late to anything, and if we waited much longer we'd miss the movie. Korra had been so excited to see it.

I glanced over and saw her stamping her feet in frustration, with her usual pout gracing her lips. I had to stifle a giggle. She was so cute when she did that.

Finally, she lost her patience and grabbed me by the shoulder dragging me inside. "C'mon, we need to buy tickets **now** or we won't get in. I am **not** waiting another hour for the next showing."

She ran up to the counter and ordered tickets for both of us, paying with her debit card before I could get the chance to take my money out of my purse. I followed her with a bemused grin as she power-walked her way to screen 11, completely bypassing the snack line.

We found seats and sat down; Korra was practically jumping on the edge of her seat. Ads were still playing, which means we still had another several minutes of previews to sit through before the movie started.

"Oh my God, I'm so excited…" she whispered, and then it hit me. Bolin skipped on us on purpose. He knew I liked Korra, and… oh God. Butterflies started flying in my stomach. It was just me and her now, at the theater, watching a movie. It was like a date, except I don't think she even knows I like her. Heck, I don't even know if she liked other girls, although I had never realized until after I met her.

She had this huge grin on her face as the previews started. It was so adorable, but I had never been this nervous in my life. But why was I so nervous? We're just here as friends, it's not a date. But it could be seen as such. I glanced around wondering if the people around us thought we were a couple, but the darkness prevented me from seeing much.

The opening started and Korra grabbed my hand, holding it tightly.

Two and a half hours later we were walking to my car, and she was still holding it.

My head was in the clouds.


	2. Rain

I tossed and turned, but I just couldn't get to sleep. It affected me from time to time, more so since the truth about my father was revealed to me. But tonight it was just the rain. There was a constant tapping as the drizzle fell upon the roof, louder than it had ever been at home. I heard a deep rumble from far away, echoing again and again.

I had some medication that helped me get to sleep, but it was at home along with the rest of my possessions. Instead, I decided that going for a little walk would help. I put on a robe and pair of slippers that Pema had lent me, and crept out of my room.

**Pat pat pat pat pat**

I headed away from all the bedrooms so I wouldn't disturb anyone, making my way through the silent, nearly pitch-black house. In the city, there were always so many lights. But here the darkness was just unsettling.

But as I got closer to the far side of the house, I noticed a light emanating from somewhere. I looked around, but I couldn't find it.

**Pat pat pat pat pat**

Eventually my search led me to the front door, which I carefully slid open. A chilly gust blew over me and I shivered, drawing my robe tighter across my skin. Outside was a figure sitting on the porch and holding a dying lantern. The source of light.

The figure sat with one arm rested on their knee, holding their head up in a dejected stance. As my eyes adjusted to the brightness, the hair and blue clothes gave away figure's identity.

Avatar Korra was just sitting there, in the middle of the night. Out in the rain and the cold. _Why?_

"Trouble sleeping too?" I called out. It took her a moment to register someone had said something, as if she was half-asleep.

"Asami…? What's wrong?" She said tiredly, turning to face me while rubbing her eye weakly.

"Nothing really, just the rain… Aren't you cold?" The poor girl was soaked.

She merely shrugged, and let the silence draw out. I slipped off my slippers and joined her out in the rain. She ignored my gaze and looked straight ahead into the blackness.

**Pat pat pat pat pat**

She spoke up suddenly. "A-Asami…? Do you miss your… your parents?" Her voice cracked slightly. Honestly I was surprised she said that, and it pained me a little considering recent events. But something was bothering her.

"I miss my mom a lot, but I barely remember her now. She was struck down by some firebenders when I was still little… I'm not so sure about my dad…" I admitted.

"I'm s-sorry…" She choked. "Here I am c-complaining when you… when you…" Her cerulean eyes were glistening from more than the rain.

"It's okay… Korra. It's fine…" I soothed her while wondering to myself what Korra's parents were like. I had always known her as _The Avatar_, and it was hard to forget that she was a real person who had a family and a previous life. She leaned into me and buried her face into my side, while I rested my arm around her shoulder.

"I just… really miss them. I was running away from the compound, and I barely had a minute to say goodbye before I had to run…" Her muffled voice travelled through my robe. _Compound?_ What kind of previous life did she live?

"When I was still young… they t-took me away. Stuck me in a fortress full of White-Lotus members. I rarely got to see them, and… I was j-just so lo-lonely there…"

"Really? That sounds awful, Korra. I'm sorry you had to go through that." My heart tugged a little at her confession. How could a group of people do that to a child, no less the Avatar? "But you came out so strong and confident, so that must speak something about your character. I admire you for that."

She drew quiet again.

**Pat… pat**

"I still just… feel so alone sometimes. I mean… I know I have Bolin, and Mako, and now you… but I just feel like I'm broken inside. Sometimes I feel like I… I just can't care about people the way I want to." I felt so sorry for her. She had spent so long without intimate care that she forgot or never learned how to give it back in return. Suddenly a thought popped up in my head.

"Is this about... Mako?" I asked carefully, remembering what Ikki said to us before. She was silent for a long time, which was about to confirm my suspicions until she spoke up.

"N-no..." _It's not?_

"I thought I liked h-him, I really thought I did. But... I d-dunno. Maybe I was just confusing it with something else..." Well that didn't make much sense to me.

"C'mon…" I said, while trying to drag her up. "If we stay out here much longer we'll both get sick." I was already entirely soaked, although the drizzle had lighted to only the occasional drop. I left the lantern where it was, it would die out in a few minutes anyway, and helped guide a wet but strangely warm Korra back to her room.

"C-can you stay… with me? For tonight?" She whispered, her face looking more distraught than before.

"Of course," I hugged her, trying to reassure her. "If that makes you feel better..." I lifted off the wet robe and hung it over a chair, and crawled under the covers. As Korra slipped in, the sheets turned toasty warm, as if her body was radiating heat. Still cold I wrapped my arm around her and dragged her closer, her head resting against my chest.

Outside was that distant rumble of thunder again, then silence replaced by Korra's steady breaths and soon mine too.


	3. Flower

There was just something about Korra that I couldn't place my finger on.

Maybe it was the way she interacted with the kids; how she would listen to all their stories and play along with their silly antics. Or how she always seemed so brave and confident despite the whole situation we were all facing. How precise and powerful her bending was. Her easy-going and carefree attitude.

It could be her smile. How her face just lights up and reveals her dazzling teeth and pouty lips. Her glowing sapphire eyes and thick brown hair ornamented with her hairbands and ponytail. Or her tall athletically built body...

There were a lot of things I liked about Korra. But the thing I liked the most about her is that she treats me like a friend. Not like a socialite, or a wealthy upper-class rich girl, or 'her _father's_ daughter'… just Asami; just me.

When she talked with me, laughed with me, hung out with me… I just really appreciated it. A lot more than I think she knew. Which led me to my current situation.

I was outside her closed door, where I knew I could find her. It was still early, and she was probably still asleep, so I hesitated to knock. In my hands was one of Pema's gorgeous flowers she took care of herself. I asked if I could borrow one, and she gave me that knowing look and said yes.

I was nervous really; this was a touchy situation. On one hand, she could see what I was up to, and not like it. Toss our friendship away, and call me disgusting. Knowing her I doubt she would react that way, but you can't help the nervous mind. On the other hand, she might say yes; if she likes me back… maybe we could… go on a date?

Or she might just see it as an appreciation for our friendship, which was fine but I wanted her to know how I felt about her. How much I cared about her.

I heard shuffling from inside; a few muttered groans and a bang. My time had come.

I timidly knocked on the door.

A moment's pause.

"Uhh… okay! You can come in." I closed the door behind me; she was sitting on the bed pulling her socks on. "Asami…? What brings you here this evil morning?"

"I u-uh… I wanted to g-give you this." I presented my flower.

To my relief, she took it without batting an eye, and took a deep whiff from it. Actually now that I thought about it that was surprising, maybe a flower wasn't exactly Korra's thing.

"Thank you, I really like it… It's blue?" She raised a questioning eyebrow.

I looked down at my feet. "The same color as your eyes…"

"It's gorgeous." She murmured.

"Just like you…" Here comes the moment of truth.

I look up; she's smiling. I give a crooked grin, and then start smiling too.

I have a feeling today's going to be a great day.


	4. Ledge

The ledge loomed underneath me, the tips of my toes dangling on frigid air. It was a long way down, with sharp jagged edges and icy water that would end you in minutes. I closed my eyes, just standing there. Swaying back and forth as the wind bent me like a leaf.

Minutes passed, and I didn't move. Ice froze to the edges of my eyes as I tried to worked up my courage. The wind howled, echoing the torment raging in my mind. No one would understand; they couldn't understand. They'd say no and try to stop me, or they'd be sad afterwards and blame me. But they can't understand what I'm feeling, the need to escape… to be free. Why does their mediocre sadness outweigh my immense torment?

I cracked my eyes open, and was greeted with the sight of a seemingly unending stretch of water... water that I would never be able to bend again. The intimate control I had over it had vanished in a heartbeat. It was ironic, that I wanted the water to kill me. Water was all about life and compassion, but now I was twisting it to its very opposite.

Why couldn't I move? I just wanted to throw myself forward, but I lacked the courage. I balled my hands into fists in frustration; I couldn't even do this very simple thing. So simple… so easy… I really am a failure.

_Why me…?_

"Korra?" A voice from behind startled me. I whipped around, feet dragging on the slippery edge.

_Asami…_

"KORRA?!" She screamed at me as I started sinking. Ice flew past me, and the wind howled louder than ever. She disappeared from view, and the clouds loomed way above. Dark and stormy. I smiled.

Up above, a wilting rose touched the ice.

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**/heartwrench**

**I like reviews :3 , even if its just a yay or a nay**

**EDIT: If people are confused this takes place at the end of the series, after Katara is unable to return Korra's bending. She runs off with Naga and is standing looking over the ice ledge and a tear falls down her face. Remember? And Aang comes and says that when you reach your lowest point, you are open to the greatest change or w/e. That lowest point is referencing suicide; at least that's how I took it. **


	5. Surgery

We waited in silence, wincing each time the clock on the wall ticked. It was so soon and we were both so very nervous. Asami lay serenely on the wheeled cart; her head propped up slightly. She wore a smile, but I knew that she was as nervous as I was.

The nurse had taken too many blood samples a while ago. Asami had prepped by imbibing a galleon of Magnesium Citrate the night before; she was all ready. Ready to go through with this very last process. This so very important process.

"Korra…?" She murmured. I gripped her hand maybe a bit too tightly in response.

"Don't worry hun… everything is going to be fine." How could she be so sure? And why was she calm now and I was the one terrified beyond wits. She was the one going through this.

"My surgeon has a great record." She seemed to be reading my mind. "He's done over three hundred GRS procedures, and has never had any major complications. It's gonna be _okay…_" I nearly swallowed my stomach.

The door opened, and the nurse came back inside. "It's time…" She said solemnly, as if her death was rapidly approaching. She unlocked the cart's wheels, and began dragging it away. I followed it outside the room, but while they turned left, I had to go right.

Asami smiled at me and gave me a little wave. My hand jerked in return, just before she disappeared from sight.

I sat down in the waiting room, breathing deeply trying to calm myself. I tried to think about how this surgery was so important to her. How greatly it would benefit her. She needed this to be happy and complete. Too many times I had caught her crying by herself; after a shower, or while getting dressed. All those things you couldn't allow yourself to do because you were so dysphoric about that part of you.

_It's gonna be okay… _Her words rang through my ears. It will, it had to be. So I resigned myself to sitting in an uncomfortable plastic chair for the next few hours watching people come and go, and trying to think on the bright side of things.

After this is all over, she's gonna be so happy. And once it heals, I bet the sex will be great too. I smiled in anticipation.

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Reviews :3


	6. River of Red

**"KORRA!"** I screamed.

All around me was a deafening mess of noise tearing my ears apart piece by piece. Students ran in all directions, pushing against each other in a congested attempt of escape. Shouts and yells resounded in the hallways. But she wasn't among them.

A bang went off, and the screams rose another pitch. Someone pulled the fire alarm but I could barely even hear it.

**"KORRA!"**

I struggled, fought, and pushed my way past the sea of teenagers all moving against me like a powerful river unyielding to the denizens trapped in its relentless assault. Fists flew and elbows jolted, and I was covered in a half-dozen bruises already.

_Please let everything be okay, please…_

I broke free from the crowd and started running to where I knew I could find her.

There was a body on the ground, and another. But they weren't her so I ran past them without a care.

A river of red.

_Please be okay…_

A glint of blue, mixed with brown and red. Her wide eyes burned a hole into the ceiling.

_Oh God no…_

She twitched, and moved her eyes to me.

"A-Asam…i?" I grabbed her bloody hand and held it close. Please… this could not be happening right now.

"Korra…! It's gonna be okay Korra. Just… just…" I was swept away by the river of red. Sinking helplessly as my eyes dimmed. _This was not happening._

Her eyes locked on to mine, and then they faded. Gone was the blue; only black and red remained. Her life vanished, ripped from me in one cold terrifying moment. _How could this happen?_

I collapsed into a heap and screamed my fury, tears mixing everything into a blur. Hands grasped me, pushed me, shook me. _Leave me alone so I could die along with her._ I pushed against my invisible attacker.

"Asami!"

_Go away._

"Asami, please! Stop!"

I knew that voice. I stopped struggling, and only shook with my tears and dry heaves.

My eyes opened, but instead of that river of red there was a sea of blue. Her hands holding my shoulders back against the pillows; her sleep-tangled hair draped over me.

"It's okay… I'm here…"

My vision blurred again.

That terrifying river of red.


	7. Math

**I'm at the airport right now; travelling all day sucks lol. So here is a fun story about 400 level mathematical statistics (bivariate random variable distributions if you're curious). Just for funzies. **

**I will return with a normal story tomorrow lol.**

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"So… can we work through this next one together?" She glanced up at me with a hint of a smile tugging at her lips.

"Korra, if I keep doing all these for you, you won't know how to do it for the test." Seriously at this rate she was going to fail.

"I just don't _get_ it… math is too hard." She pouted.

"Alright fine, but I'm just gonna try to help you along the way. You're doing the heavy thinking yourself this time." She was going to get it right … or else.

"Okay okay jeez… so… um where do I begin?" I sighed.

"Write down what is given to you." _Duh._

"Okay well… the joint distribution of x and y is 1 over quantity Y factorial, gamma function theta, delta raised to the theta power, all times X to the Y plus theta minus 1th power, times e to the negative x over delta, minus Xth power… whew… and the bounds are from y equals 0, 1, 2 and so forth to infinity, and x ranges from 0 to infinity."

"Okay, now what are you trying to find?"

"I want… the marginal distributions of X and Y. To get the marginal of X, I'd sum over the support of Y, and the marginal of Y I'd integrate over the support of X? Because Y is discrete and X is continuous, right?"

"So far so good." You could practically see the gears in Korra's head trying to turn; it was funny.

"Okay so f x of x equals sum from y equals 0 to infinity of… all that. And then I can pull out all the terms that don't have a Y in it. So if I split apart that X term, I get… X to the theta minus 1, times e to the negative x over delta minus X, all over gamma function theta times delta to the theta. And then that's all times the summation of X to the y all over Y factorial…"

She grew silent as she tried to think of where to go next. To be fair, this was the challenging part.

"Um…"

"You want to make that summation look like something _else_, something you can recognize. Right?" I said, gently. "What is summed from 0 to infinity, and contains what's inside?"

"The… Poisson distribution?" _Yay! She's getting it._

"You got it."

"Oh! So to get that, I need to… multiply by e to the negative X, and divide by e to the negative X outside the summation."

"Yep, and the one you divide by you can cancel out with part of that other term!" _She's getting there._

"Okay okay… so since the Poisson distribution is summed from 0 to infinity, that just goes to 1. And so were left with 1 over quantity gamma function of theta times delta to the theta, times X to the theta minus 1 power, times e to the negative x over delta power… Am I done?"

"Not quite," I laughed. "What you have left there looks like something, doesn't it?"

"It's a… a… gamma distribution. Right? With theta as the first variable and delta as the second? I'm right, right?"

"Yep, you're right." I smiled. All this tutoring hadn't gone to waste after all.

"**Woohoo!"** She punched the air.

"Don't forget the last step though… the marginal distribution is still a distribution."

"Oh, right. So f x of x equals the gamma distribution of theta and delta from y equals 0, 1, 2, to infinity, and 0 else… Awesome…"

_Time to mess with her a bit._

"Okay that's the marginal distribution of X… now find the marginal distribution of Y. It's harder."

"Oh COME on! Gimme a break already…" _HAHA._

"Fine," I said while giving her a kiss on the cheek. "You earned it. That test will be cakewalk now." Her eyes bugged out.

"Onnnn second thought… let's keep going…"

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**But seriously though, random variable distributions are pretty cool. **


	8. Grave

The silence of dusk grew oppressive around us as we walked to our destination in bitter sorrow. Above, the blossoming stars twinkled like specs of diamonds raining down on a still and shattered world.

A little more than 5 years ago was Amon's revolution. A little more than 5 years ago was when I met her. At first I regarded her as little more than a prissy rich girl, wallowing in money and fortune and happiness. She had everyone's attention, and I'm ashamed to say that it made me jealous. But then she opened up to me, and revealed that she was so much more. Instead of prissy, she was caring, resourceful, brave, selfless, daring, funny; she reminded me of, well… me.

I remember the way she looked at me, the little things she did when she was around me, that first lingering kiss she gave me. The nights curled up in each other's arms, lending each other support when we could barely support ourselves.

5 years ago today… _he_ came and ruined everything.

We reached the gate. Bolin wordlessly opened it with a flick of his hand; the screeching of rusty iron hinges scaring a few neighboring wolfbats into taking flight through the looming darkness. The silence settled as we made our way forward.

It was a dirty, empty, lonely area I thought to myself. Located on the very edge of the city, very little people came around here, save those with a specific purpose.

Some areas looked as if they had been untouched since the beginning of construction of Republic City, perhaps existing even beforehand. Moss and weeds covered many blocks and slabs of stone, many of which were crumbling and entirely devoid of the writing they once had. So many souls, lost to eternity completely forgotten about.

I still don't understand how someone could be so evil. To kill their own daughter, what madness must consume them? To try to prevent someone's form of love, because of their own presumptions and misconceptions.

I remember the way she would wake me up each morning, by kissing my neck and face until it was impossible to ignore. When we would walk around Air-Temple Island with locked hands, trying to find peace and balance in a unbalanced world. She always kept telling me how after the war, she was going to teach me how to drive. I never did learn.

She made the tastiest moon-peach pies, which surprised me because cooking was something you would never have to learn when you lived your life surrounded by servants. She told me that her mother had taught her how to bake, before… well…

Among the dirty-gray slabs, some of which read Sato, one stood out gleaming white and pearlescent.

**Asami Sato  
152 ASC – 170 ASC  
"May she live on as a testament and a reminder to the hate and  
suffering sometimes inflicted from those closest to ourselves."**

"It's hard to believe it's been so long already…" Bolin quietly murmured. "It seems like it was just yesterday to me."

I kept my mouth shut, lest my voice crack as I tried to speak.

"I bet that she watches over us in the Spirit World, sending us her love by helping us struggle through this mess they call life. She cared too much to not do everything she could…"

I broke down, and sank to my knees. A comforting hand rested itself on my shoulder as I cried my fury and my sorrow. It was too easy to pretend the hand belonged to someone else.

"You'll meet her again one day."

An hour later, the graveyard was pitch-black and empty. Leaning against the white stone was a single red rose.


	9. Alcohol

**Wrote this again in the airport, so may contain many grammar errors. Sorry for being gone for so long... also sorry about a sad story about Christmas :( **

**I need ideas; if you have any good ones leave them in a review :3**

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A looming darkness had fallen over the city as the hours had wasted away to the bitter remainder of the evening. Shadows grew and flickered as faulty lights flickered in their cheap broken pattern. It was winter, and even the air was foul of it. The frozen air had that icy, hard, metallic quality, where if you took too deep of a breath, your nose would be wrought with that awful pain.

Along a side street, a tall shadow moved faster than the others as a lone woman made her way along; her scarf wrapped tightly around her face, and her neck hunched deep in her jacket. Save for the light clicks as her boots hit the stone surface, the rest of the noise emanated from the insides of the nearby buildings, whose inhabitants wisely chose to keep their activities away from the wretched temperature.

The lady's glittering earrings reflected the light that fell upon her every so often, and her leather coat sighed as her arms swept back and forth. She was a stark contrast to the buildings on either side; they were broken, littered and vandalized. Windows were broken, and patched up again with wood or cloth, and rusty iron crept up along the sides in an ugly embrace. But the woman was beautiful; her clothing expensive and her manner exquisite. She looked like she would be better suited to extravagant dinner parties and upper-class socializations, rather than this seedy run-down neighborhood.

She stopped in front of a door, from which light and a generous amount of noise flowed through the rotten walls. She stopped a moment, as if either drawing up her confidence or double checking she was in the right area, or possibly both, before pushing her way inside.

It was a bar; one that was quite well-off in this area, but still struggling and down-trodden. The lady's nose wrinkled as she took in the smells of alcohol, vomit, and the various smells of the people inside. She did a quick scan of the crowd before slouching back off towards the exit, until she seemed to have found what she was looking for. She moved towards another girl roughly the same age, sitting alone at a small table littered with empty glasses. The other girl's eyes were glassy and unfocused, and she reacted slowly to the sudden form of the beautiful woman sitting in front of her.

"Nasty place… Spirits only know how you wound up here." The tall lady muttered while rubbing her hands vigorously.

"H-howd you fine…d meh?" The girl slurred, before taking another gulp of the questionable brown substance inside the only non-empty glass left.

"Bolin told me where I might be able to find you, and it seems as though he wasn't wrong. What in the spirit's name is wrong with you Korra? Sitting alone here on a night like this?"

"Dam-n it Bohlinn… cannt trusht 'im enymore."

"Korra… Korra, listen to me..." She lifted the girl's chin until she was staring straight at her. "…why are you here? It's Christmas eve…"

Her blue eyes glistened a little, before she lowered her gaze again.

"Bolin said you'd been upset for a while, but we don't understand why…" It grew quiet between them. The voices around them reverberated with deep laughs and hearty chuckles, and glasses clinked as the holders drunk with reckless abandon… lost in comradeship and the need to let go during their winter break.

"I hearrrd, heard that M-Mako wush gonna propose tehday… Why're you hear en'not there?" Her voice lowered until the point where it became a barely audible croak.

"I said no," this time it was the tall lady who sighed.

"W-why…?"

"It was too soon… I wasn't ready for that kind of commitment yet. And he… he didn't take it very well…" Her hand clenched into a fist while her eyebrows narrowed at some unseen enemy. "It was always about him…"

"Dump 'em… you don't need no low-life like 'em…"

"Well, that might not be necessary anymore. There's not much of a relationship left to dump at this point. But you still haven't answered me…" She looked expectedly at the blue eyes that had locked on to hers with an unprecedented firmness, before faltering once more.

"I wassh lonely…" She admitted quietly.

"And so you came alone to some random bar to drink alone… because you were lonely? I'm sorry Korra, but that doesn't even begin to make sense."

"You don't undershtand! You never have! You have Mako, and he has you, and Bolin has his brother, Tenzin has Pema and the kidsh… I have no one… my best friend is… a polar-bear dog…"

"…I'm sorry, Korra."

"Hmm…" the girl muttered. "Seems like ever'one is _sorry_ for me…"

"But you're not alone." The girl raised her eyebrow at the lady's words as she lifted her up on to her feet.

"You have me. We're friends… please remember that."

"…yeah." The girl muttered quietly.

"…friends…"


	10. Dysphoria

He was my best friend.

We met in grade school; he was this short, slightly chubby kid with dark brown hair and bright blue eyes. He was sarcastic and funny, smart, creative, and always caring. If something was wrong, he always wanted to know so he could help.

Back then he was known as Kody.

People saw us together and always made the assumption that we were more than friends. Maybe it was true, maybe not. I'm not really sure. It's hard to draw the line sometimes when the person in question is your best friend; someone who cares about you and knows you better than you yourself. In our eyes though, we were just the greatest of friends. Did it matter if we were officially dating when we would go to Friendly's and share some ice-cream? We were just having fun and enjoying something delicious.

I always knew that he was holding something back. I could see it in his eyes; some deeply hidden sadness or experience. I told him a hundred times that his eyes made him look like he was a wise old man who had lived for a century. It bothered me sometimes, that he held something back from me. I trusted him with everything, so why couldn't he? He always wanted to help me, so why couldn't I help him in return?

I eventually decided that maybe he was still just trying to figure out what was wrong, and so I let him know several times that I was always there to talk, if he ever needed it.

High school came around, and I knew something was seriously wrong. He would have these episodes where he would get so upset that he would break down crying all day. His grades started slipping, and he started talking less as he withdrew himself from everyone around him. My heart ached as I watched him silently struggle with himself, knowing that I couldn't even begin to understand what he was going through.

I tried to actively help him now. I would invite myself over, and just talk… just be there for him. I would sometimes make him get up and bake cookies with him; no raisins though, he hated raisins. I tried to get our friends to include him more, so he wouldn't feel so left out, but it seemed to me like it only served as temporary distractions for him. He could have fun and get lost in the moment, and then a few minutes later suddenly sober up and grow sad again.

When his parents got a call from the hospital, I was the first one there. He was delirious, from having swallowed so many pills. He wouldn't talk to me as I sat there; he just kept shaking his head from side to side. He was kept in suicide watch for a while, until he was finally allowed home once a therapist was set up with him.

I held his hand, silently hoping to myself that he would open up to me.

When he told me that he felt more like a girl, I was shocked. In a way, it made sense. He had always been feminine even as a young kid. He would always joke about getting his ears pierced, even though he never did. I could smell a small amount of perfume on him sometimes, and he always religiously shaved his torso and face religiously.

I told him I just wanted him to be happy, and I supported her 100%. Her face lit up each time I used female pronouns, and she was so excited each time I let her try on some of my clothes.

Her parents didn't see eye-to-eye though, and neither did her therapist. I kept finding her crying after appointments, when the therapist said that what she was going through was a mental illness, and that he was going to try to "cure" her. It infuriated me. Her parents at least said they were trying to be supportive, although I think they failed miserably. They always said he and him, and wouldn't let her start to medically transition. They said she was too young, but she told me she had known ever since she was five. That is not a phase; you don't have to be an adult to know what gender you are.

Her parents weren't helping, so I did it instead. I sat with her when she cried. I cleaned up the bloody tissues I found on her bathroom floor, and made her promise to not cut herself again. I got her to come with me to school so she wouldn't fail out. I tried to get her parents to find an endocrinologist to prescribe her hormones.

She was growing worse though, and I couldn't do enough. Not without her parent's support. I cried when I saw how much she hated her own body, how she struggled to look at herself in the mirror. She couldn't bring herself to go outside, where she would constantly get sir'd. I decided to buy hormones online to give to her.

For the first time in a long while, she looked happy. We did research on correct doses, and possible side effects. We couldn't get blood work done though, without her parents knowing.

Weeks passed by, and we reveled in the changes together. Her skin started to become softer, and the acne on her face started to disappear. Minute differences in body fat changed the way she looked, making her just a pinch feminine. Her body odor started to smell less metallic and sharp. I was able to catch her smiling at times, and I was so happy.

Her parents noticed the changes though, and found the pills. They yelled at her and made her flush them down the toilet.

The next day, I found a note she had written to me.

I knew it was too late but I ran to her house anyway, only to see the rope and her blue face. She hung there looking strangely at peace, as if she had finally found a means of escape from the torment she had always endured. She had finally found a path to freedom. Crying, I sank to my knees and read her handwriting between my clenched fingers.

**Thanks for everything. I'm sorry.  
- Korra**


	11. Realization

**Meh. Don't really like this one, but it's been a while and I couldn't think of much to write about. **

* * *

I didn't like her.

She just waltzed into my life one day from out of no-where, attached to Mako's arm like an elbow leach attaches to your… well… elbow.

She was everything I wasn't. She was tall, beautiful, social, feminine, rich… that cool air of being more intelligent than those around you, and knowing it. She was able to charm Mako when I couldn't. She had connections and I didn't.

Looking back, I know I was more than jealous, but I tried to hide that by believing that she was up to no good.

She was always watching our team practices, and it always distracted me. Just knowing she was there… I mean she wasn't even a bender. It's nothin' special in my opinion… it just _is._ And then when she was distracting me, Mako would start yelling at me as if it was my fault or something. It made me so angry I just wanted to storm off and… I dunno. Dedicate myself more towads practicing airbending I guess…

And then after all that she kept trying to talk to me! _Oh Korra you should come to my big fancy rich house with Mako and Bolin and I… oh Korra you should come shopping with me, I can afford all the new fancy styles… oh Korra let's go do something dull and boring._ I'm just like… leave me alone woman.

But then we were at the testing grounds for her father's new inventions, and she brought me with for a spin. And I got to see a whole new side to her I had never tried to see before. She was strong, confident, skillful, brave, competitive… a lot like me in ways. She was still filthy rich though, and tall and beautiful and feminine…

I decided to give her a chance though. I decided to give her the benefit of the doubt when I found out her father was an Equalist. Even if he was, there was a chance she wasn't.

After she _saved_ us, knocking out her father to do so; after I saw just how broken and dejected she was when her only family turned against her, I found myself trying to talk to her instead. She wasn't wealthy or powerful or connected anymore, she was just… herself. Beautiful and strong, intelligent and brave, compassionate and confident.

I noticed that my nights were spent thinking about her until I couldn't keep myself awake anymore. When she walked past me, my stomach would leap and do twirls as I caught a scent of her rose perfume. When she talked to me, I would find myself stumbling around for words like never before.

Was I developing feelings towards… _her_?

I was there for her in the night when she would wake up crying about her father. I was there for her when she needed a friend. I was there for her when Mako was too busy wrapped up in his thoughts about the end of his career as a pro-bender.

But I stayed silent.

It couldn't work between us… we were both girls. What would Tenzin say? Or Pema, or my parents? What would Republic City have to say about it?

_Why did I have to like another girl in that way?_

Soon I had barely enough time to think about it as we were drawn into a full-scale war. How could I focus on her when I had that terrifying hand drawing closer and closer to my face? Now I woke up in the middle of the night sweating and screaming, and she was the one who helped me through my terrors. When I was captured by Tarlok and eventually escaped, she was the one at my bedside nursing me back to health.

Took me awhile, but I soon realized that I had fallen in love with Asami Sato.

When I lost and regained my bending, she was the first one to find out. I made sure of it.

That moment was so profound; so joyful, momentous, unbelievable, and marvelous, that I confessed my feelings. Screw what the city thought, or anyone else. I was doing this for me, and when she said she felt the same way, there was nothing in the world that could stop us.

Love always finds a way.


	12. Apartment

**Thanks to those who have reviewed :3 I'm glad people have so far seemed to like it. I don't write a whole lot and I'm still sort of new to this, so any ideas on how to improve would be appreciated. Ya know... if there's any room for improvement... /TahnoSwagger**

**I'mNotGoodAtThis: It makes my head hurt reading it too . I wish there was some way of writing formulas instead of plain words. Believe me it makes so much more sense looking at the actual formula.**

**EmberOfSoul1323: So true unfortunately. That story was hard to write because I was almost one of them.**

**LessThanThree's to all (apparently less-than or greater-than symbols won't save). Happy New Years Eve!**

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It was a blisteringly cold evening I thought to myself as I walked around town. The ground was covered in a few inches of snow, and the sky was grey and swirling with snow flurries that had been on and off all day. I dug my hands deeper into my pockets and bent forwards into the icy wind.

To my right was central park, and I could make out the figures of some children having a snowball fight. There was a group of kids huddled behind a wall of snow, and some other more daring running out in the open. I snickered as one kid waterbended a ball of snow directly into the face of another, who then landed unceremoniously on his rear.

_At least some of us could have fun_, I thought to myself as I recalled my prior day. Tenzin had been scheduling a series of meetings for the past week trying to combat the recent resurgence of Bending Triads in certain sections of the city. They were causing all sorts of problems, including unsettling the nonbending folk. Some antibending and equalist thoughts had been springing up as a result, which where most of our attention had been. Tensions were still high and the last thing we needed was an uprising from half the city.

To my left was a tall apartment building made of dark glass, finely sculpted stone, and steel. It was a beautiful sight as far as buildings go; I could tell a lot of planning and money had gone into its construction, which made it not cheap to live at. It was one of the most popular high-end apartments in the financial district, and there was a huge waiting list to get in. Luckily though, the head of the Sato Empire can pull many strings and unlock many doors.

We chose to live here because the idea of living in the mansion, or what was left of it, didn't appeal to us. Too many bad memories; plus the idea of living in the center of the city rather than in a private seclusion was an exciting prospect. There was so much of the city to explore, and it was all right there in front of us.

I got in the elevator and pressed the button for the tenth floor. A short man got inside quickly right before the door closed, and nodded his recognition of me. He was dressed in a well fitted suit and tie, despite being in his teens still. I knew who he was; he was the son of Lau Gan-Lan, the owner of Cabbage Corp. Despite the company being the rivals of Future Industries, I liked and respected the young man. He seemed very responsible and polite. He had also been one of the first to congratulate us on our upcoming wedding. He apparently had this uncanny ability to get "the dig" on everything.

"Cold day today." I said, while rubbing my still frozen hands together. He made some noncommittal noise of agreement, which I thought was odd. He was shielding something from my view on his other side, and his lack of words probably meant he was nervous and up to something. I caught a sliver of green from out of the corner of my eye when he thought I wasn't looking anymore. It was a flower, I was sure of it.

"Well…" I drawled as the elevator came to a halt. "This is my floor… sooo… HaveANiceDateImSureHeWillLik eIt!" I shouted over my shoulder as I bounded from sight. I saw his face, and chuckled at the expression he was wearing. It was a mix of astonishment, nervousness, and stupid.

I fished around in my pockets for my keys as I walked through the hallway up to my door. Finding them I jiggled with the lock and headed inside. Someone had been here for a while, if that smell of food was anything to judge by. I took in a deep breath savoring the smell of onions and tomato sauce.

"Well well well… what do we have here?" I snickered as I pushed my head around the corner to take in the sight in front of me. Luxurious silky black hair greeted my eyes, tied back in a ponytail. She wore a white apron over a tank top and pajama bottoms. It may have been cold outside, but in here with the furnace on it was deliciously toasty.

"Drat, you're home early too." She gestured at the kitchen table which was already laid out with plates and silverware, and a bottle of wine. Two pink candles stood in the center, waiting to be lit.

"I left early. Tenzin and the others were still going at it, but I had had enough by then and told them to stick their ideas up their… I swear those other council members have rocks for brains." Asami laughed, and gestured at me to come closer.

"I'm making lasagna, your favorite." Her red lips smiled, still painted for work. I settled my head on her shoulder and nipped at her neck; I could feel her tense up in appreciation, and a little breath of air escaped her mouth.

"You know me too well..." I purred. "So how was your day?"

"Boring, uneventful, and endless. That's why I _ahhh… _I was able to get home ear… _ahh stop it!_" She pushed me back with a giggle. "I'm trying to cook here; if you don't stop I'll make you cook instead."

"You don't want to do that." I pouted.

"You're right." She frowned pointedly. "I don't. I think the poor stove is still recovering from your last debacle."

"You're so mean." I snickered. "Quite the lovely and romantic dinner for two."

"Oh please Korra, like you're a romantic at all." She smirked at me. I put my hands up in mock defense.

"Hey now, don't forget who proposed. I'm romantic… in fact I'm super romantic. It's not my fault that I've ascended to a higher dimension of life, one which mere mortals can only begin to grasp on their basic plane of reality."

"The only thing that has ascended is your inflated head. Now come help me with the rest of this." She directed her spatula at the glasses, napkins, and food that had yet to be brought to the table.

"Yes ma'am." I saluted before stealing a kiss from her and waltzing away.


	13. Someone New

**Here's a short one that I wrote in like 10 minutes flat, but I still like it. Try to catch the reference :D (it should be glaringly obvious).**_  
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* * *

_Great_, I thought to myself as I hurried my way into the building. I was almost late to our first class and now all the good seats are going to be taken. I knew I shouldn't have checked the front page of Reddit first.

The doors practically slammed open when I reached the classroom. The teacher was already up front, but it looked like he hadn't started yet, so there was that at least. Most of the seats were filled up by now, but to my surprise there was one left on the edge near the front.

I placed my bag down and casually glanced at the girl next to me. There was something familiar about her… but I couldn't place my finger on it.

"Hi," I introduced myself and shook her hand. I was curious about who she was. "I'm Asami, nice to meet you."

"Oh, hey. It's Kod… err…" She coughed. "Korra." She had this lovely deep voice, it was almost entrancing. The kind that soothes and calms you.

"Were you here last year, and I just missed you? Or are you new here?" I asked. She still looked so familiar, but I didn't recognize the name.

"Um… no, I'm uh, new… transferred. First day of classes here." She grinned sheepishly at me.

"Oh, well if you're free after this class I could show you around campus?" If she's new she probably doesn't know many people yet, and I was always willing to make a new friend.

"Sure, sounds fun."

* * *

I was in some sort of trance as I followed her around, showing her the buildings she already seemed to know. She was gorgeous; I couldn't help but feel jealous. She was taller than I first thought, and she had such long silky legs. Her hair was this beautiful shade of brown, and her eyes were a piercing blue.

She laughed so richly, so warmly, it was like she had just escaped a lifelong prison free to wander the bright world as she had so often dreamed about. When she had an idea, her eyes would light up like fireworks and her lips would curve into this cheeky goofy grin like she was so excited she was about to burst from holding it in.

It was intoxicating to be around her I found, and I wanted more. I started hanging out with her every day; sometimes going out and doing something fun, sometimes just talking or eating dinner together, or walking around the campus. I had never felt so alive before. How someone random could just enter my life like that all of a sudden and make such a drastic change to my life… I'll never be able to understand that, even after experiencing it firsthand.

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**HURRAY FOR 1000 VISITORS! :D And about 3.4k views. Yay! To celebrate, I wrote a story about the second-best shipping after korrasami...**

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I glared at him... that stupid hair-flip, that stupid smirk. He was just so stupid looking.

I can't believe he said that to Korra... _Private lessons_... hmmpphh, I'd like to wipe that stupid smirk off his stupid little face.

Then, gray eyes glanced up to meet gold, and his smile widened.

"Mako..." He playfully bantered. "You look like you're looking for something... perhaps... some _private lessons?_"

Oh god that voice... the sexual tension in me flared up like a platypus-bear on steroids.

"Kiss me pretty-boy."

**Later...**

"Hey Bolin..." Korra shouted while running up the stairs two at a time. "You up for getting some tacos...? Wait why is your face green... OH GOD WHY ARE YOU THROWING UP?"

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**Yes I made that as cheesy as possible. Tahno + Mako = Tahko... GEDDIT?! LOL ROFLMAO**

**... Oh, yup. That's the door. Thanks for pointing it out. I get it. Fine.**


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